Letters to the Editor for March 23

Having grown up in Torrington, and graduated from THS- it makes me sad, mad, and downright disgusted to hear that the place I hold dear to my heart has been tainted and demonized by the actions of a few.

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However, based on the overall reaction (or lack there of) by the community, the administration, and some of the student body at large, I find it unbelievable that many people have chosen to attack the VICTIM of this crime (not the attackers themselves) and how some within the community (some placed at the center of this controversy) have chosen to suppress this incident.

For anyone who thinks it's acceptable to harass and belittle the victim of a crime of this nature -- you had better reconsider, because there are just as many of us who find your actions utterly deplorable and it will not be tolerated.

As for the comments made by certain administrators in the days and weeks following the initial incident, there seems to be an attempt, (intentional or otherwise) to minimize the magnitude of this incident, and only serves to protect these young men.

When you take this into consideration -- coupled with the student body's reactions through social media-- the only true course of action should be wide sweeping and strict punishment.

As a former student-athlete from THS, I believe the community should also call for the resignation of the Athletic Director Mike McKenna, who made some unbelievable statements in the days following the incident.

He basically shrugged off the situation, chalking it up to the reality that "this type of behavior occurs everywhere" (quoting the Register Citizen article), which in certain respects, is one of the most disturbing aspects of this whole situation. Truly disappointing.

I know the student body (in my day) would've handled this situation in our own way, with a little "schoolyard justice." Maybe for better or for worse, but in any event, we certainly would NEVER have accepted this type of behavior from anyone in our class, let alone ostracized the victim of a crime like this.

Regarding the vile Twitter posts that have further victimized this poor girl -- you should be ashamed of yourselves.

The reactions on Twitter to this situation serve as a reminder to us -- or rather, as a marker -- which seems to point to the further decline of our social constructs, highlighting how social media outlets do little to support and foster community ties, instead further divide people and often give voice to a very small (and ignorant) minority.

I want to be clear that I don't intend to pre-emptively indict the three men accused of these crimes and I will withhold further statements regarding my opinions of them until a verdict has been reached.

Instead, I would hope that this letter serves as a reminder to all of us within the community (and elsewhere) that there has been an epic failure on the part of the THS Athletic Administration, namely the director, who needs to be made to understand that behavior and ignorant statements like those made by Mr. McKenna will be subject to a policy of zero tolerance -- the same policy that should be upheld when a crime of this nature is committed.

Thank you.

--Michael Fraher,

THS Class of 2001

Obama about guns

On Feb. 15, the president said in Chicago:

"Last year, there were 443 murders with a firearm on the streets of this city, and 65 of those victims were 18 and under. So that's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months. And that's precisely why the overwhelming majority of Americans are asking for some common-sense proposals to make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun."

I couldn't agree more with the president. He's exactly right.

But that has nothing to do with restricting law-abiding citizens from owning guns. And the Obama administration doesn't care a whit about Newtown or our nation's children. Many more children are killed with guns in Chicago -- every year(!) -- than died in Newtown, yet we never heard from them about that before, because their agenda is not about saving children or about gun crime prevention.

Gun control is not about guns. It's about control -- people control. And it's Obama and his fellow liberals who are pushing it. Throughout history, it has ALWAYS been liberalism that has been the precursor to government tyranny -- and the murderous regimes that follow without fail.

Sandy Hook is just another crisis they don't want to go to waste. This is no different than every other previously civilized nation that went down this path and evolved into a totalitarian state.

An armed citizenry precludes government tyranny, which is why dictators (and criminals) prefer an unarmed populace. Don't you be one of the latter. Don't be suckered into giving up your right to guns. And if you don't have one, get one soon, before you no longer can.